The final part of my Super League at 25 series is counting down Warrington's top ten players in 25 years of the competition.
If you missed Part One, on the top ten Wire Super League seasons, you can find that here. Part Two looked at the top ten Wire Super League matches, and that's here.
So, this is the big one. The top ten players. Before I start the countdown, let me briefly discuss my criteria. I have looked for the ten most impactful and excellent players in Warrington's time in Super League. This immediately ruled out Iestyn Harris, who, as brilliant as he was, only featured in one Super League season for Wire. I also looked for consistency across their stint, which ruled out Graham Appo, Ryan Atkins, Chris Riley and Chris Bridge, all of whom had superb spells but didn't maintain their performance level across the entirety of their time at the club. Then came the longevity factor. I have tried to keep the influence of this to a minimum, but it did mean that I couldn't realistically include Chris Sandow, who played 31 times, or Andrew Johns, who played three. These two are arguably the two most talented players I've seen play for Warrington, but for Johns in particular (although he was the best in the world at the time), it was only a short-term deal and so would've been foolish to include him, while Sandow probably needed another season to have made the list.
10) Nathan Wood
2002-2005
96 appearances
45 tries
A fabulous player who was comfortable in the halves or at hooker, Nathan Wood joined from Wakefield mid-2002 having previously played for the New Zealand Warriors in the NRL. The Aussie bagged a very impressive 45 tries in just over three seasons at the Wire, before retiring at the end of 2005. He was part of the transition from Wilderspool and is perhaps best known for scoring the first ever try at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, against his former club Wakefield. Wood left an unforgettable mark on the fans and maintains a positive relationship with the club, having travelled from his home country to watch Wire play Hull FC in the 2016 Challenge Cup Final at Wembley.
A fabulous player who was comfortable in the halves or at hooker, Nathan Wood joined from Wakefield mid-2002 having previously played for the New Zealand Warriors in the NRL. The Aussie bagged a very impressive 45 tries in just over three seasons at the Wire, before retiring at the end of 2005. He was part of the transition from Wilderspool and is perhaps best known for scoring the first ever try at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, against his former club Wakefield. Wood left an unforgettable mark on the fans and maintains a positive relationship with the club, having travelled from his home country to watch Wire play Hull FC in the 2016 Challenge Cup Final at Wembley.
9) Matt King
2008-2011
106 appearances
66 tries
It's hard to envisage that Warrington will ever sign a better centre than Matt King. Despite initially struggling after joining from Melbourne, the Australia international was tremendous from 2009 onwards, a hat-trick in the Challenge Cup semi-final propelling him to new heights that made him seemingly impossible to stop in 2010 and 2011, scoring 19 tries in both, many of which finishing off lovely team moves, like the one below. King was a brilliant centre who could easily release his winger too in a way that we haven't seen since. He left at the end of 2011, his best season, to join South Sydney Rabbitohs and left a Warrington legend having been voted in the club's all time 13.
It's hard to envisage that Warrington will ever sign a better centre than Matt King. Despite initially struggling after joining from Melbourne, the Australia international was tremendous from 2009 onwards, a hat-trick in the Challenge Cup semi-final propelling him to new heights that made him seemingly impossible to stop in 2010 and 2011, scoring 19 tries in both, many of which finishing off lovely team moves, like the one below. King was a brilliant centre who could easily release his winger too in a way that we haven't seen since. He left at the end of 2011, his best season, to join South Sydney Rabbitohs and left a Warrington legend having been voted in the club's all time 13.
8) Jon Clarke
2001-2011
264 appearances
61 tries
A player who is perhaps underappreciated given the quality of hookers that succeeded him, but Jon Clarke was a magnificent number nine for the Wire who was a crucial part of the transition from Wilderspool to the Halliwell Jones. He was initially signed on a short-term emergency loan but impressed so much that his signing soon became permanent and he ended up staying for eleven seasons. A very physical hooker with outstanding spirit and competitiveness, Clarke's tackling was his party piece - he was Super League's top tackler in 2004 with a success rate of 99%. 61 tries is a very impressive return too, a tally which reflects his longevity at the club before joining Widnes in 2012. He returned to the club as Head of Performance until 2018.
A player who is perhaps underappreciated given the quality of hookers that succeeded him, but Jon Clarke was a magnificent number nine for the Wire who was a crucial part of the transition from Wilderspool to the Halliwell Jones. He was initially signed on a short-term emergency loan but impressed so much that his signing soon became permanent and he ended up staying for eleven seasons. A very physical hooker with outstanding spirit and competitiveness, Clarke's tackling was his party piece - he was Super League's top tackler in 2004 with a success rate of 99%. 61 tries is a very impressive return too, a tally which reflects his longevity at the club before joining Widnes in 2012. He returned to the club as Head of Performance until 2018.
7) Allan Langer
2000-2001
55 appearances
16 tries
Perhaps a controversial inclusion as Langer only played 55 games for Warrington, but Langer was one of the most gifted half-backs in the last 20 years and it was a pleasure for anyone lucky enough to see him play for Wire. It is a measure of the Australian's quality that he was voted into Warrington's all-time 13 despite having a relatively short stint at the club. The blow clip is from a 2000 clash against Bradford at Wilderspool. Wire find themselves 12-32 down at half-time against the best defence in the league. Langer single-handedly drags the Wolves back into it and ends up being on the winning side by a score of 42-32 - everything went through him in that second half.
Perhaps a controversial inclusion as Langer only played 55 games for Warrington, but Langer was one of the most gifted half-backs in the last 20 years and it was a pleasure for anyone lucky enough to see him play for Wire. It is a measure of the Australian's quality that he was voted into Warrington's all-time 13 despite having a relatively short stint at the club. The blow clip is from a 2000 clash against Bradford at Wilderspool. Wire find themselves 12-32 down at half-time against the best defence in the league. Langer single-handedly drags the Wolves back into it and ends up being on the winning side by a score of 42-32 - everything went through him in that second half.
6) Joel Monaghan
2011-2015
145 appearances
145 tries
Would it be a big statement to make to say that this is the best winger since the Bevan duo? I don't think it's much of a stretch. Monaghan was simply irresistible for Wire, scoring 145 tries in his five seasons at the club, crossing at a rate of a try-per-game. He was the second of the Monaghan brothers to arrive in Cheshire and soon found his feet, with 26 tries in his first season. 22, 26 and 34 followed in thee next three years before an injury-hit final year saw him only make 17 appearances, but still score 11 times. Probably the highlight of his time came in the 2012 Magic Weekend when he scored five times against Widnes. Monaghan also scored in the 2012 and 2013 Grand Finals, before suffering an injury that forced him off mid-game in the latter. Had that not happened, surely Wire would've been champions, as Monaghan was never kept quiet from scoring for long.
Would it be a big statement to make to say that this is the best winger since the Bevan duo? I don't think it's much of a stretch. Monaghan was simply irresistible for Wire, scoring 145 tries in his five seasons at the club, crossing at a rate of a try-per-game. He was the second of the Monaghan brothers to arrive in Cheshire and soon found his feet, with 26 tries in his first season. 22, 26 and 34 followed in thee next three years before an injury-hit final year saw him only make 17 appearances, but still score 11 times. Probably the highlight of his time came in the 2012 Magic Weekend when he scored five times against Widnes. Monaghan also scored in the 2012 and 2013 Grand Finals, before suffering an injury that forced him off mid-game in the latter. Had that not happened, surely Wire would've been champions, as Monaghan was never kept quiet from scoring for long.
5) Adrian Morley
2007-2013
173 appearances
9 tries
A player that seven years after his departure, Wire still haven't replaced. Morley was a phenomenal prop and surely the best the club have seen since the inception of Super League. A mainstay of the team for seven seasons, Morley was appointed captain of the team and led the club to their first ever League Leaders Shield in 2011. He was everything you'd want from a prop - energy, work-rate, tackling, strength, pace - you name it, he had it. He was named in the Dream Team twice while in a Wire shirt in 2009 and 2010. He became known for his hard running and big hits, as can be seen below. A bona fide legend.
A player that seven years after his departure, Wire still haven't replaced. Morley was a phenomenal prop and surely the best the club have seen since the inception of Super League. A mainstay of the team for seven seasons, Morley was appointed captain of the team and led the club to their first ever League Leaders Shield in 2011. He was everything you'd want from a prop - energy, work-rate, tackling, strength, pace - you name it, he had it. He was named in the Dream Team twice while in a Wire shirt in 2009 and 2010. He became known for his hard running and big hits, as can be seen below. A bona fide legend.
4) Ben Westwood
2002-2019
444 appearances
128 tries
Some would argue that Westwood is the greatest Wire legend of them all. He joined in 2002 and stayed for 18 seasons before eventually hanging his boots up last year. Westwood arrived at the club and was used as a centre or even a winger - not something you'd associate with him now! Gradually he transitioned into becoming a forward who could play as a second rower or a loose forward. He developed into one of Britain's best and was named in the Dream Team four times. Westwood never took a backwards step and his move from flying edge player to hurtling battering ram defined his career and made him a great. Westwood played under five different coaches at the club and is its record Super League appearance maker. His personal highlight was in the 2013 playoffs, scoring four tries to help eliminate Leeds on the way to the Grand Final.
Some would argue that Westwood is the greatest Wire legend of them all. He joined in 2002 and stayed for 18 seasons before eventually hanging his boots up last year. Westwood arrived at the club and was used as a centre or even a winger - not something you'd associate with him now! Gradually he transitioned into becoming a forward who could play as a second rower or a loose forward. He developed into one of Britain's best and was named in the Dream Team four times. Westwood never took a backwards step and his move from flying edge player to hurtling battering ram defined his career and made him a great. Westwood played under five different coaches at the club and is its record Super League appearance maker. His personal highlight was in the 2013 playoffs, scoring four tries to help eliminate Leeds on the way to the Grand Final.
3) Michael Monaghan
2008-2014
192 appearances
35 tries
The elder Monaghan brother arrived at Warrington in 2008 from Manly and made an instant impact. His game intelligence and ability to spot a gap simply terrified defenders and he quickly became one of most consistent players in Super League. He dovetailed his role with Jon Clarke and then later on, Micky Higham, but it was always Monaghan who was the star of the show at hooker (though he also did a very good job in the halves on occasion). He was part of a team that got to two Grand Finals, won three Challenge Cups and won the League Leaders Shield. He retired in 2014 having made nearly 200 appearances for the club. Because of how good Daryl Clark has been since joining, I feel some people have forgotten how good his predecessor was, but he really was a supreme player. An absolute joke that he never made the Dream Team.
2) Brett Hodgson
The elder Monaghan brother arrived at Warrington in 2008 from Manly and made an instant impact. His game intelligence and ability to spot a gap simply terrified defenders and he quickly became one of most consistent players in Super League. He dovetailed his role with Jon Clarke and then later on, Micky Higham, but it was always Monaghan who was the star of the show at hooker (though he also did a very good job in the halves on occasion). He was part of a team that got to two Grand Finals, won three Challenge Cups and won the League Leaders Shield. He retired in 2014 having made nearly 200 appearances for the club. Because of how good Daryl Clark has been since joining, I feel some people have forgotten how good his predecessor was, but he really was a supreme player. An absolute joke that he never made the Dream Team.
2) Brett Hodgson
2011-2013
75 appearances
39 tries
A beautiful rugby league player who for three years set Warrington alight and played some genuinely delicious stuff. Signing Hodgson was a huge statement of intent from Wire - he won Man of Steel at Huddersfield in 2009 and was named the NRL's best full-back before arriving in England. There was plenty of pressure and expectation on him when he arrived, and he more than delivered. A glorious attacking full-back, the Australian had endless ability with the ball in hand and could find a key pass out wide when necessary. He also had a canny and accurate knowledge of when to join the attacking line from full-back (his hat-trick at Crusaders in 2011 below is a great example of that). We enjoyed three years of Hodgson's flawless goal-kicking which saw him rack up 314 goals and two drop-goals by the time he left Warrington, and rugby league, in 2013. 39 tries for Hodgson was a great return in just 75 appearances - 18 of those came in his sensational 2011 season. Hodgson was a key part of Warrington's best era and it is very telling that when he and Briers left, Wire struggled to compete for the next two seasons. A stunning player.
1) Lee Briers
A beautiful rugby league player who for three years set Warrington alight and played some genuinely delicious stuff. Signing Hodgson was a huge statement of intent from Wire - he won Man of Steel at Huddersfield in 2009 and was named the NRL's best full-back before arriving in England. There was plenty of pressure and expectation on him when he arrived, and he more than delivered. A glorious attacking full-back, the Australian had endless ability with the ball in hand and could find a key pass out wide when necessary. He also had a canny and accurate knowledge of when to join the attacking line from full-back (his hat-trick at Crusaders in 2011 below is a great example of that). We enjoyed three years of Hodgson's flawless goal-kicking which saw him rack up 314 goals and two drop-goals by the time he left Warrington, and rugby league, in 2013. 39 tries for Hodgson was a great return in just 75 appearances - 18 of those came in his sensational 2011 season. Hodgson was a key part of Warrington's best era and it is very telling that when he and Briers left, Wire struggled to compete for the next two seasons. A stunning player.
1) Lee Briers
1997-2013
425 appearances
154 tries
It just had to be, didn't it? Briers is a bona fide legend of the club who will never be replaced. 17 years at the club brought over 400 appearances and 154 tries, as well as 948 goals. Briers will be remembered not just for the tries and goals though, with 74 drop-goals, including the famous winner at Headingley in 2006. Yes, there'll never be a better drop-goal exponent than Briers and he won so many matches for Wire with his late one-pointers. The reality of it is that Briers carried Warrington for years, and even when there were other major talents in the team, it was Briers who would be the man to turn to when the going got tough. He helped turn Wire from mid-table fodder into a competitive outfit and was a key part of the transition from Wilderspool to the Halliwell Jones. He came painfully close to the Super League glory he deserved in 2011 and 2012 after over a decade of service to the club, consistently being their go-to-man. Throughout his career he was the creative fulcrum of the team and it was always panic stations on the occasions he missed games through injury. His last game was the 2013 Grand Final, which Wire lost to Wigan. An absolute tragedy that he never won Super League, and just the solitary one cap for Great Britain is borderline illegal. Briers only ever made one appearance in Super League's dream team, another indicator of how his talent wasn't properly recognised. Forever underrated by the rugby league fraternity, but never by his own fans. The best player to play for Warrington in the Super League. They don't make them like him any more.
It just had to be, didn't it? Briers is a bona fide legend of the club who will never be replaced. 17 years at the club brought over 400 appearances and 154 tries, as well as 948 goals. Briers will be remembered not just for the tries and goals though, with 74 drop-goals, including the famous winner at Headingley in 2006. Yes, there'll never be a better drop-goal exponent than Briers and he won so many matches for Wire with his late one-pointers. The reality of it is that Briers carried Warrington for years, and even when there were other major talents in the team, it was Briers who would be the man to turn to when the going got tough. He helped turn Wire from mid-table fodder into a competitive outfit and was a key part of the transition from Wilderspool to the Halliwell Jones. He came painfully close to the Super League glory he deserved in 2011 and 2012 after over a decade of service to the club, consistently being their go-to-man. Throughout his career he was the creative fulcrum of the team and it was always panic stations on the occasions he missed games through injury. His last game was the 2013 Grand Final, which Wire lost to Wigan. An absolute tragedy that he never won Super League, and just the solitary one cap for Great Britain is borderline illegal. Briers only ever made one appearance in Super League's dream team, another indicator of how his talent wasn't properly recognised. Forever underrated by the rugby league fraternity, but never by his own fans. The best player to play for Warrington in the Super League. They don't make them like him any more.
So, there we have it. Some of the ones who came very close to making the list (that weren't mentioned at the start) include Chris Hill and Mike Cooper, both of whom can count themselves unlucky, as can Stefan Ratchford, who was initially in the ten before a change of heart. Daryl Clark will surely be in by the time he leaves the club but is just outside for now, while it was hard to exclude Ben Harrison, Garreth Carvell and Chris Hicks, but difficult decisions had to be made. The player who probably came closest without getting in was Toa-Kohe Love, who I felt extremely harsh not including.
Daniel (@aloosewire
Fantastic article, deserving of a Booker prize
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